Chapter Text
“Adamannnn,” a long draw out of his name cried, “Why are adults so weird?” The ten year old boy looked over at his younger friend, Arezu. Her face was red with a pout on her face, it always reminded him of her bright red hair.
Adaman struggles to figure out an answer, so he responds. “What about adults are weird?” She crosses her arm and sways back and forward. “My mom and dad keep saying stuff about love, what the heck does that mean?! Does that involve kissing? If it does, bleah!”
Usually he'd tried to answer her, but an adult problem? “Um…uh..My Grandpa doesn't talk about this stuff, if I guess it involved a man and a woman?” Arezu's face forms into one of disgust. “I don't like this word ‘love', the adults always tell me wait until I'm older! I don't wanna wait!! I'm gonna figure this out, maybe Mai can help, she should know!” She grabs onto his arm, pulling him along. He doesn't even get a word before both of them were running down the path in the settlement.
“Mai, can you answer something for me!!” Arezu cheerfully yells to the black-haired girl, startling her. Adaman gives her an apologetic look as Mai brushes her bangs out of her face. “Arezu, can you not yell please. What is your question though.” Mai replies softly, watching a few pokemons run by.
On que, Arezu bombards the girl with questions. “What is love? Is it a grown-up thing? Do I need to be older to experience love? Why is it always boys and girls??” The eleven year old makes a confused look before she looks to Adaman. “Is..this the important questions?” He nods back as his eager friend looks brightly at his other friend. It makes him laugh watching her reaction.
“Hey, this is serious Adaman!! I don't wanna waste my life not knowing!!!” The pout returns to the redhead's face, making him laugh even more. “I know time is important to us, but I don't even think Almighty Sinnoh can help!” The two continue to have a one-sided argument while the other girl chimed in a few times with her opinion.
-
Adaman was spending his day listening to some of the adults in the room talk. His friends weren't up yet, since he didn't want to waste time sleeping through the day, it made him feel older. For a moment, he praises himself for being more mature.
But something wasn't the same as the previous conversations the adults were having. Worried tones and tensed moments were being shared, and it only intrigued the twelve year old even more. The blue-haired boy quickly inches closer to listen closely to the conversation.
“..But nearly an entire group of merchants! It's amazing there were even survivors.”
“What I'm worried about though is the aftermath of our trades, we need those but these Pokemon attacks threaten us. Whatever Pokemon attacked them surely was a mad one, possibly an alpha.”
“Whatever happened would have to be addressed later, since they were fairly close to us, what's our plan to do for these people? Allow them into the villiage?”
“They have a different culture from us though, could we allow it?”
“If it's a short time, then it shouldn't be something we couldn't manage. They are important to us as a clan after all.”
“Well…if you insist then, we'll send the Warden and some others to aid in their assistance. As for other means-”
Adaman quickly tuned out the rest of the conversation, it was too confusing for him. Just to think, he thought, I'll be doing that one day. It made him excited, but he slowly drifted back on the conversation. More people, joining the Diamond Clan for a short time. He doesn't see new people often, so this was even more exciting for him! He had to tell his friends, until he remembers they still aren't up yet. As time would tell, he would impatiently wait for his friends to wake up.
-
“It was this MASSIVE pokemon apparently who hurt these people! I don't know what clan though, they didn't say which one.” Adaman explains to his friends. Arezu looks at him eagerly, excitedly saying, “We get to see new people?! There better be some kids in this clan!” Both smile widely at each other.
Mai, on the other hand, drinks some tea while feeding her Munchlax an Oran berry. She sets her cup down to respond. “While that is interesting, did you both forget the fact that these people were attacked? I'd be more worried about their safety..” Arezu and Adaman look at her, the redhead tilts her head. “Well, yeah! They don't seem to be hurt, right Adaman?”
The nudge from Arezu after her question made him feel a bit guilty for not assuming the worst. But he attempts to reassure his friends, “No, they don't seem to be hurt in the slightest!” A white lie, not his best move.
Arezu give a Mai a clear I-told-you-so face, while Mai narrows her eyes at him, making him look down. Now he really hopes she didn't pick up on the lie, but his prayers were answered. As soon as Mai tried to open her mouth, a familiar unpleasant voice calls out his name.
“Hey Adamannnnn! Why didn't you tell me you were out here already??” A blue-haired boy approaches the small group, a Stunky following close by him. Arezu looks over Adaman's shoulder to grin. “Hey Melli! We kinda thought you'd just come here!”
Adaman sighs, shifting in his spot uncomfortably. “I thought you were doing more practice for the Warden post.” He pinches his nose when Stunky runs pass, making a slightly disgusted look. “Oh that, I did enough of that yesterday! Mai can even vouch for me.” Melli dismisses his concerns, making Adaman cock his eyebrow in skepticism. It was short lived though, as Mai nods.
“Him and I were studying together yesterday, we got some practice battling as well. I'm sure we both will pass though, the Nobles do decide in the end though.” Mai smiles at Melli, who smirks at Adaman. Arezu giggles as she puts her hands in her lap. “Being a Warden sounds fun! I've always admire Lady Lilligant, so maybe she'd accept me.”
Melli nods but crosses his arms and frowns. “Adaman over here gets to become our leader eventually though! I'll admit that he'd make a great leader, but how will the Nobles accept him?” Adaman knew it wasn't asked in a negative light, the question still made him frustrated nevertheless. “Time will tell, but I'm sure they'd grow to like me..at least.”
A hand rests onto his shoulder softly, making him look up to see Mai. “Don't doubt yourself, you still got a few years left at least. You're, at least, accepted here.” Adaman smiles a little at her as Arezu gives him a thumbs up and smile. “Yeah! I'll get to keep you as my practice for hair cutting right??” He makes an unsure look and nods, confused on what that entails.
Melli looks over at a few people, tapping Adaman's foot softly with his own. “Your old man is out, probably should go check it huh?” “Huh? Oh yeah, right.” He stands up quickly. “Thanks you guys, I'll tell you if something important happens!” As soon as he waves, he's off to greet his Grandfather.
-
The clan, or rather guild, that was attacked was a few members Ginkgo Guild. The members were out traveling through the Crimson Mirelands, when they were attacked by a Pokemon- at least that's how much Adaman understood. The adults were making side conversations about what happened, but Adaman was just there to greet the guild. He wish he didn't have to be this mature right now.
A warden walks through the entrance, a couple of the Ginkgo Guild members behind them. Adaman couldn't see much, as his Grandfather walked ahead to greet the people who would be staying here for a while. It was awkward, especially for himself. That's when someone catches his eye.
A boy with blonde hair, most covering his left eye, looking just as lost as Adaman felt awkward. Something that stood out was the egg he was carrying, it was hard to make out due to him being far back. Yet something about this boy made Adaman's heart flutter for a moment.
More adult conversations take place, when the guild members were let through into the Diamond Clan's settlement. Adaman and the mystery boy both stare at each other for a moment, yet as soon as that moment happened, the boy looked away. This day just kept getting more interesting for him, so making a plan of action to talk to this boy was on his agenda.
Adaman noticed that he should get moving, so it gave him the perfect opportunity to talk to this boy. He purposely decides to walk next to the blonde, giving him the chance. Quietly, he says. “Hi, welcome to the settlement.”
It takes for a moment for the boy to glance over at him and whisper back. “Oh- hi. Am I in your way?” Adaman shakes his head quickly and smiles. “Nah, I wanted to talk to you that's all.” The boy looks over at him and quickly nods. “Um..well then about what?” Almighty Sinnoh gave him this opportunity, yet he didn't even have a topic starter!
“Well, I'm Adaman, grandson of the leader here! You gotta have a name right?” That was stupid for him to even say. The boy seems to laugh a little, so it had to be fine. “I'm Volo, I'm not anything special when it comes to the Ginkgo Guild. Must be a big responsibility to be the grandson of the leader, right?”
“Nah, it's super easy! I'm not doing anything big anyway.” Adaman dismissively waves his hand at Volo, ignoring the lingering pressure. “What do you do since you deem yourself as nothing special?”
Volo taps his chin, gently moving the egg in his arms. “We travel a lot, I'm usually with my parents but they allow me to travel with the rest of the clan now. It’s not too interesting besides some trades and the people we meet since my interest is elsewhere.” That surely peaked the blue-haired boy's attention.
“What is this elsewhere?” He thought people who work together as a clan just tend to stay together, the world was bigger after all! The other boy's eyes brighten when Adaman asks. “History of Hisui, we know some, but not all! There's so many Pokemons we hear from legends, but I want to confirm for myself that they are real. We fear them though, which is a bit true for myself, but I know there's a greater being out there, waiting for the right one!”
Adaman stares at him, attempting to process the infodump and putting his hand on his head with a confused look. “Greater being? Isn't it dangerous for people like us to just..adventure without caution?” Volo nods and smiles softly. “I'm willing to take it, I won't stop until I can understand what this all means, and I'm going to start with this.” He pats the egg softly.
Adaman curiously looks at the egg, moving a bit closer to look at it more. “It's a Pokemon egg, it can't do much.” “That's why I'm holding onto it, my mom thought it'd be a good way to learn to be a bit more responsible.” Volo sighs softly, making Adaman stare closer at him for a second.
Their conversation was quickly cut, when they arrive to the Diamond Clan. Adaman was pulled aside to go help a few people with a problem of theirs, while Volo stayed to hear what was going to happen. Adaman though, couldn't stop replaying the conversation in his head though.
-
“So this is the new boy you were talking about?” Arezu asks Adaman curiously, Mai standing by her side as Volo was next to his. Adaman nods quickly with a grin. “Yeah, his name is Volo. It sounds like he won't be here for long which sucks.”
Mai nods and waves at Volo, her Munchlax yawning next to her. Arezu, on the other end, immediately went up to the other boy and looked at him up and down. “Hmm..you're interesting looking.” Mai clears her throat, making Arezu look over at her. “Oh, this is Mai and I'm Arezu!”
“It's nice to meet you.” Volo smiles uncertainty, Adaman whispering to him. “Don't mind Arezu, she's always looking for a new person to test a hair style on.” “Hey, I heard that!” The redhead frowns at him, making the other three laughs.
“The Ginkgo Guild huh..do you guys worship any nobles?” Mai asks curiously, watching Munchlax walk up to Volo. He quickly digs into his bag, responding, “No, I believe it’s just a Pearl and Diamond Clan thing. Your stories of these nobles always interested me though.” Adaman makes a sour face from the mention of the Pearl Clan, but quickly crosses his arms while making a confident look. “We have tons of these stories if you ever want to listen to them!”
“Oh really? Do you know any you could tell right now?” Volo looks over at him with an interested look, pulling out an Oran berry for Munchlax and giving it to him. Adaman's look fades the more he tries to search for one. “Uh- um- Arezu can you help me?”
She quickly nods and leans back in her seat as everyone gives their attention to her. “My favorite story is one from Lady Lilligant, she's quite the dancer you see. Her dances can cause a storm- a unique storm of petals! Many don't see it occur, but when people do see it, it's always when an important event is about to happen! My mom always told me that she and dad saw it when he was about to propose to her. She believed it would bring many years of happiness and joy to our entire family.”
“She seems important to you, correct?” Volo asks Arezu, which she nods and smiles. “I hope I get to see this petal storm one day! If it was important to my mom, it should be equally important to whoever sees it.” Mai closes her eyes and murmurs. “It's really a heartfelt story, many come from Lady Lilligant. I recommend asking some elders for their stories, they know some of the best in my opinion.”
Volo nods and excitedly smiles. “I’ll have to do that then, Adaman can you help me with it?” The look he gives to Adaman immediately makes him nods and grin. “Well of course! This is your temporary home anyway, and I'm willing to help if needed.”
The four spent the rest of the day chatting more and more, getting to know more about their new friend as a group.
-
The next thing Adaman knew, Volo would be leaving tomorrow since a week officially passed. He didn't think he'd be this upset over a person leaving, but he feels the need to know more about his new friend. The night before Volo leaves, Adaman sneaks out to go visit him in his hut.
“Hey, Volo, are you awake?” He whisper yells in hopes he gets a response. It takes a few seconds before Volo pokes his head out of the entrance, exhaustion and confusion flashes across his face until he spots him. “Oh- Adaman I thought you were supposed to be sleeping.” He simply shrugs and smiles. “Can't tonight, this is the last night we get to spend hanging out so I gotta show you something important. You might wanna throw some shoes on and something warm.” Volo smiles and quickly disappears inside the hut again.
When he reappears, both boys set off on their little journey through the Crimson Mirelands. They both chat on the way, avoiding some Pokemons and running up a few steps. They both stop once they enter the Brave Arena, far from any Pokemons, and hopefully no danger. Adaman walks over to the edge, signaling for Volo to come sit next to him.
“I usually come here when I want to see the stars, it's pretty clear out here but isn't the most aesthetically pleasing..” Adaman smiles as he sits down. He spots Volo in the corner of his eye staring up into the sky with amazement. “It's still pretty out here..where else were you thinking?”
Adaman puts his hands in his lap. “Cottonsedge Prairie, I haven't been there in a while, maybe when I get a Pokemon I'll take you there! I hope I get one soon though..” Volo now looks at him, tilting his head. “What pokemon do you have in mind?” He hasn't put much thought into it, so he shrugs.
“You seem like someone who'd use an Eevee, they're really interesting and extremely unique from many pokemons I've heard. They kinda remind me of you, but it's just a suggestion.” Volo smiles widely, his grey eye still focused on the sky. Adaman has heard stories of Eeveee, but never seen one himself. How Volo described it though, makes him deeply intrigued by this mystery pokemon. “Where can I find an Eevee?”
Volo's eye narrows in thought, something he has notices the other boy does a lot when he's thinking. “Um..I think Obsidian Fieldlands? You might wanna ask someone who has a pokemon, or actually travels.” He laughs quietly at his own statement.
Adaman was slightly familiar with the Obsidian Fieldlands, but he has only gone a few times and had to stay with the adults. The fields were nothing like the ones here in the Crimson Mirelands, being full of greenery and forests alike. Maybe when he gets older, he'll get to explore it himself. “Oh, well I guess it's something to sit on in the meantime. I'll just see if Almighty Sinnoh decides that I deserve a pokemon.”
When he looks back over at Volo, his attention was at himself rather than the sky. There was a curious look plastered onto his face. “Your beliefs mean a lot to you clan people huh?” Adaman nods, unsure what he meant. “I mean, doesn't any clan or guild have similar beliefs? It’s what makes people stronger together as a group Grandfather says.”
Volo blinks, then shuffles a bit in his spot. “I don't have an answer honestly. I just find it interesting how your people interpret the past and stuff. It's vastly different from the Pearl Clan, with their space stuff.” Adaman looks forward, straight-faced. He did have a point, but it's the rival clan he'd be agreeing with. He sighs, changing the topic. “I'm going to miss you, will you visit? I don't mind if it's going to take a while for you visit, just..” I want to see you more but it's not going to be possible. It was a sentence he couldn't get out of his mouth.
This time, Volo turns his whole body to face him, sighing softly with a smile. “I'll definitely visit again, I really enjoyed yours and the others company. Maybe you'll have a Pokemon by then.” Adaman cracks a smile at the last statement. “I'll make damn sure I do! Just you wait.” “I'll wait then!” Volo laughs back.